Review: Hawaiian Vodka and Hawaiian Coconut Vodka

Hawaii is a land of rum and super-sweet frozen concoctions, but lately it seems that more vodka has been coming off the island than anything else. Hawaiian Vodka is distilled from sugar cane and filtered through lava rocks.

Hawaiian Vodka – The nose offers distinct candy character, with a moderately alcoholic undertone. This follows through pretty much exactly to the body, which is sweet, but not cloying. Again, that medicinal, alcoholic undertone is present, which mainly serves to prove this is vodka instead of white rum. Otherwise, secondary characteristics are elusive: Perhaps a touch of pineapple, and maybe a bit of orange peel. On the whole, it’s got a a nice balance of sweetness with traditional vodka notes. 80 proof. A-

Hawaiian Coconut Vodka – The smell hits you right when you pour a glass from the bottle, intense coconut character, heavy on the husk, actually, possibly a remnant of that lava rock filtering. The flavor is intense, surprisingly not quite as sweet as the unflavored vodka, but imbued with coconut flavor. Touch of chocolate — cocoa powder — on the finish. Really nice, but again, for the sweet tooths. 70 proof. A-